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Ishwar Singh

Areas of Interest & Expertise

  • Philosophy of Education
  • Educational Thought in Modern India
  • Power, Knowledge and Curriculum
  • Social Science Education
  • Literary Criticism and Pedagogy
  • Teaching Critical Thinking

Biography

Ishwar’s academic and professional interests in the field of education have evolved at the intersection of three distinct sites and forms of social knowledge— academics, journalism, and grassroots work. Philosophy has been his cornerstone to engage further with the issues relevant to professional practice and grassroots realities. 

He has an MA in Philosophy from Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Madhya Pradesh and PhD from Panjab University, Chandigarh. The title of his doctoral thesis was ​‘Ideology, Power and Communication: A Study of Forms of Legitimisation’. His postdoctoral research as a Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR) fellow was on ​‘Concept of Human Nature and Philosophy of Education: A Study with special reference to Tagore, Krishnamurti, and Sri Aurobindo’. 

Currently, his primary interest lies in two broad areas: exploring the ways of raising fair-minded critical thinkers in schools in the times of post-truth digitality, and the inter-paradigmatic dialogue between the liberal tradition of education and modern Indian educational thoughts. 

Before joining the University, he was Adhyaksha of Sahitya Akademi, Chhattisgarh. He has also worked as an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP), Goa University. Before this, he worked as a Programme Associate for the Democracy, Ethnicity and Knowledge Project at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi and as a Research Editor for the Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy and Culture at the Centre for Studies in Civilisations (CSC), New Delhi. 

His in-depth engagement with educational theory and practice came to the fore when he joined Azim Premji Foundation at the District Institute (DI), Bhopal in 2013. Here, he participated in the process of curriculum development and the creation of teaching material for Diploma in Elementary Education (DElEd) with SCERT, Bhopal. 

He was also engaged in school visits and capacity-building workshops with teachers and teacher educators. He also worked as a journalist for more than fifteen years with Deshbandhu, Jansatta, and NDTV. He was also associated with the editorial team of Gyan Vigyan Sandesh, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), and Srote (Eklavya). He is also engaged in literary and cultural criticism. 

Publications

Chapters in Edited Books

  • Singh, I. (2021). Democracy and the Renewal of Socialism. In A. Rajimwale and M.V. Kumar (Eds.), Socialism in the 21st Century (pp.146 – 150). Routledge. https://​www​.tay​lor​fran​cis​.com/…
  • Singh, I. (2016). वामपंथ और जनतंत्र. In D. Rai (Ed.), स्वातन्त्र्योत्तर भारतीय राजनीति (pp 107 – 127). Ananya Prakashan.
  • Singh, I. (2011). Forests, Adivasi Rights and the State. In A. S. Anand and A. V. Afonso (Eds.), Human Rights in India: Theory and Practice (pp. 281 – 306). Indian Institute of Advanced Study.
  • Singh, I. (2010). Forests, Adivasi Rights and the State. In G. Somayaji (Ed.), Tribal Communities and the Exclusion-Inclusion Debate in India (pp. 29 – 54). Academic Excellence.

Journal Articles

  • Singh, I. (2009). The relationship between science and ideology in the philosophy of social science. Sandhan: A Journal of Centre for Studies in Civilisations, 9(2), 41 – 52.
  • Singh, I. (1998). The neutral conception of ideology: a critique. Social Science Research Journal, 6(1), 139 – 148.
  • Singh, I. (2021). स्वतंत्र आत्मबोध का प्रस्फुटन: यशदेव शल्य. Chetna,1(1), 49 – 59. 
  • Singh, I. (2021). भारतीय आधुनिकता के आत्मगवेषक: यशदेव शल्य. Madhumati, 61(6).
  • Singh, I. (2018). प्रकृति व समाज का द्वैत और समाज विज्ञान. Madhya Bharti, 76(10), 57 – 68.

Conference and Seminar Papers 

  • Singh, I. (2020). Reality, Conditioning and Truth: Insights of Krishnamurthi. [Paper presentation]. ICPR Seminar on Philosophy of J. Krishnamurti and the Problems of the World at Vasanta College, Krishnamurti Foundation India, Varanasi.
  • Singh, I. (2019). Tagore’s Critique of Modern Civilisation and the Question of Indian Modernity [Paper presentation], ICPR Seminar on Indian Modernity: Hopes and Challenges, University of Lucknow.
  • Singh, I. (2018). Ideal of a Total Man and Rabindranath Tagore’s Holistic Approach to Education. [Paper presentation], 92nd Session of Indian Philosophical Congress, Surat.
  • Singh, I. (2018). Adivasi Knowledge and Modern Educational and Pedagogical Practice. [Paper presentation]. National Seminar, Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar.
  • Singh, I. (2017). Delineating the Contours of Postmodern Self Through Budhhism and Krishnamurti. [Paper presentation]. ICPR Workshop, Lucknow.
  • Singh, I. (2017). Nietzsche and the Tradition of Ideology-Critique. [Paper presentation]. ICPR Workshop, Lucknow.